


Sunday Morning Malec Feels - Or: The One Where They Do Tai Chi Together

by MichelleMisfit



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, soft, sunday morning, tai chi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 15:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13438032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MichelleMisfit/pseuds/MichelleMisfit
Summary: Alec wakes up alone and finds Magnus doing Tai Chi on the balcony...A combination of a character study of Alec Lightwood and shameless Tai Chi perving of Magnus Bane, let's just be honest here.





	Sunday Morning Malec Feels - Or: The One Where They Do Tai Chi Together

Alec wakes up gradually, curling his toes and arching his back, before he rolls over, burying his face in Magnus’ pillow. He inhales deeply, a soft smile on his face, before his brows draw into a frown. He lifts his head and blinks a couple of times, looking around the room.

He flops back over to his side, staring at the ceiling for a moment, running a hand over his face and into his hair, before reluctantly getting out of bed.

He grabs his jogging bottoms from the cupboard and pulls them on as he walks from the room, hopping on one foot for a moment, then the other. Maybe it’s good Magnus isn’t here to see him, he thinks, rolling his eyes at himself.

He’s reaching for the drawstrings to fasten them, when he spots Magnus on the balcony and stops, strings dangling forgotten from his fingers.

Magnus is in a similar state of dress as Alec is, going through his Tai chi routine. A ball of blue magic is balanced between his hands, slowly and gracefully being moved around his body.

The last time Alec saw Magnus do this he was preoccupied with guilt and wrecking his brain on how to apologise to Magnus. It wasn’t the time to stop and appreciate the striking image his boyfriend made then.

Magnus’ control over his body is impeccable. The eight year old inside Alec, who used to get up and shoot arrows from the roof of the institute in the middle of the night, can’t help but smile. He understands seeking perfection, and the feeling of accomplishment when you get close to it. It’s not as if Alec now doesn’t still find himself on rooftops some nights, endlessly checking his aim. Perfection is an elusive thing.

He slowly presses down the handle and pulls open the balcony door, avoiding any noise. Magnus gives a short hum, acknowledging Alec’s presence but otherwise doesn’t break his concentration. Alec can just about see his profile from where he’s standing. Magnus’ eyes are closed, his face peaceful.

He watches him for another minute as Magnus transitions flawlessly through several moves and Alec feels himself getting restless. His skin itches in the same way it does whenever he watches Jace or Izzy train from the side of the room and all he wants to do is pick up a blade or a staff and join them. Use the years of training he’s got. Work his muscles until they ache. Enjoy his body for all it’s capable of.

Unlike his siblings, Alec doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying or even thinking about his appearance. Magnus tells Alec that his body is a thing of beauty on a regular basis and Alec usually blushes, then shrugs it off.

His body is the body of a warrior. It looks the way it does because it has a purpose. A job to do.

Alec enjoys his body when he is pushing it to its limits and it obeys him. When he is training with a new weapon or learning a new fighting style. When he is learning a new move and suddenly muscle memory kicks in and his body just _gets_ it.

Before he can stop himself he asks, under his breath, because that’s the serene mood that’s settled over their balcony, “Mind if I join you?”

Magnus’ movements stutter in their fluidity for only a second. If Alec hadn’t been watching his body as closely as he is, he wouldn’t have caught it at all. But it is only a moment before Magnus gives another hum, this one slightly louder and affirmative, if a hum can be such a thing, and Alec catches the corner of Magnus’ mouth tip up in a small smile, his eyes still closed.

Alec goes to stand a few steps behind Magnus’ left shoulder, not wanting to get in his way. He shuffles his feet hip width apart and looks at Magnus’ movement. Tai chi is new to Alec and he has to pay close attention to Magnus’ form, copying his movement and pausing several times to adjust his position.

He loses track of time and his body settles into the different positions, realising after a while that its a repeating sequence of movements and when his hips shift before he’s thought about doing it, anticipating Magnus’ next move, he smiles and closes his eyes.

He lets his body go through the movements he remembers, aware that he’s probably messing it up but more focused on the quiet unity he feels within himself. It isn’t often that his mind stops questioning every move and decision he makes.

This is nice.

He draws his left hand over his head in a slow arc, his right hand following behind. He pauses at the apex of the arch for a focusing breath before slowly lowering both hands down in front of his body. A gentle cough makes him blink his eyes open.

Magnus clearly stopped some time ago without Alec noticing and is standing in front of him, looking directly at Alec. His cat eyes are intently focused on Alec's face. They glow in the gray morning light.

Alec feels a blush heat his cheeks, wondering how long Magnus has been watching him. Magnus glances down and Alec’s gaze follows and he gives a startled jerk at the glowing ball of magic that’s between his own hands.

He flicks his eyes back up at Magnus, who raises a lazy eyebrow at him, almost a challenge and Alec smiles, takes a deep breath to centre himself before going into another sequence of movements.

He can feel his heartbeat rising as he keeps a tight control on his body, the ball of magic flickering in front of him.

Alec keeps glancing between Magnus and his own hands. He knows Magnus’ magic wouldn’t hurt him but he focuses on keeping his hands half a foot apart in the same way Magnus is focusing on Alec and moving the magic ball in perfect sync with Alec’s movements.

Alec can’t help but glance up at Magnus’ face repeatedly and glance away, every time Magnus’ quick cat eyes catch his gaze.

A bead of sweat runs down Alec’s temple and he’s itching to wipe it away but he doesn’t. He knows how to command his body and push himself to his limits. Though he’s fairly certain all of his earlier Tai chi achieved zen has been ruined.

He breathes a sigh of relief when he raises his hands above his head in a half arc, the move he started with when Magnus interrupted him, and as he’s drawing his hands down in front of his body, the magic ball bursts into a shower of sparks.

Alec watches the scattering magic, a helpless grin spreading across his face but before he can say anything Magnus crowds him back against the balcony wall and kisses him urgently.

Alec makes a startled hmpf sound, fighting for balance so he doesn’t topple them both to the floor, before melting into the kiss.

All of his earlier control on his body disappears as he scrambles for a hold on Magnus’ naked back, slipping on the slight sheen of sweat, finally settling with pushing his hands into Magnus’ hair and holding on as best he can.

When they break the kiss they are both panting, the release of their tightly held control combined with a sudden spike in adrenaline and Alec’s heart is racing as if he’s just finished an hour long sparing session.

He tips his forehead against Magnus’ with a smile he couldn’t stop if he wanted to and takes a few calming breaths.

“Good morning.”

Magnus hums in agreement, before he tilts his head, ghosting his lips along Alec’s open mouth, barely touching, puffs of air bouncing off Alec’s skin.

Alec’s breath hitches and he holds his body as still and taut as his bow string while Magnus brushes his nose along Alec’s cheek bone and into the hair at his temple, tickling Alec’s skin with little snuffling breaths.

Magnus pulls back and stares at Alec intently. His cat eyes have a mischievous glint in them that has Alec freezing in anticipation. Magnus runs his hand down Alec’s arm slowly, so slowly, before linking their fingers and leaning in as if to kiss Alec, pausing a hair’s breath away from Alec’s mouth, lips parted in anticipation. Magnus curls his tongue into Alec’s mouth, running it along the inside of Alec’s upper lip before teasingly flicking it back out.

Alec let’s out a breath that turns into a cut off groan as he tries to follow Magnus without thinking and Magnus pushes him back against the wall, keeping some distance between them.

“Good morning, Alexander.”

Magnus smiles, watching the shiver that runs through Alec’s body at the words and tugs on his hand as he steps back.

“Come on.” He says and pulls Alec through the open balcony door and back into the direction of their bedroom.

Good morning indeed.


End file.
